CONCERNS have been raised about why a lantern festival was allowed to take place in Glasgow.  

The event, organised by Lantern Festival UK, took place in Petershill Park in Springburn on Saturday, September 14.  

Prior to the event, it was advertised as having "biodegradable" lanterns which would be collected by volunteers and recycled after they were released.  

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However, Laura Young, an award-winning climate activist, environmental scientist and ethical influencer, says she is "horrified" the event went ahead and questioned how much "electronic waste" was created.  

In a reel posted to Instagram she said: "[It was] an environmental disaster.  

"The events seemed to be a total disaster with people waiting around and the lanterns were cheap, bulk made.  

"These ones weren’t fire lanterns, fire lanterns are a disaster because they can cause fires, but these ones are just as bad because they have helium in them and we don’t want to waste helium and they have LED lights – we’re literally just letting off electronic devices into the atmosphere."

Laura says she contacted local councillors about the Lantern Festival ahead of it taking place, calling it a "mass littering event", and was told it would be looked into.

Balloon and lantern releases are banned on council land but Petershill Park is privately owned. 

A council spokesperson said they did not receive a licensing request for the event. 

Laura continued: "Supposedly the council has a ban on balloon releases and lantern releases, and they said that to me in the email.  

"They said ‘these things normally don’t get permission’ so we need to go investigate what’s happening."

She added: "I just don’t understand how people don’t see that these are bad.  

"People need to think ‘is this event a good idea’ and just not go."

One attendee of the Lantern Festival, who asked to remain anonymous, came from Edinburgh for the event with tickets costing them and a friend £35 each.  

They said when they were booking tickets the website claimed the lanterns were environmentally friendly "made of rice paper, string and bamboo".  

However, when they collected their lantern, they realised that was not the case.  

They said: "When we were handed the lanterns we were given a huge helium balloon with a battery-operated candle attached to it – both very obviously not biodegradable or safe for the environment.  

"My friend and I did stay to watch but decided not to let ours go. I was so uncomfortable with the idea."

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*Warning - video contains strong language*

They continued: "We watched them fly away; they went for miles.  

"The website claims they have volunteers who will pick up all the litter but there’s no way anyone was getting those."

A spokesperson for Glasgow City Council said: "Balloon and lantern releases are banned at events on council land or property. This is due to their environmental impact.

"Petershill is not owned by the council and we did not receive a licensing request for this event."

Petershill Park and Lantern Festival UK have been contacted for comment.